Measuring the Music: Another Look at the Contemporary Christian Music Debate

by John Makujina

A new approach to an old debate. While many Christians refuse to question the practices, presuppositions, and theology of CCM, John Makujina dares to challenge the music and the method of this billion dollar a-year mega-craze. In the words of Calvin M. Johansson, "Makujina takes the reader step by step through a series of well-thought-through insights which go to the heart of the church's adoption of popular musical culture. It is a meaty detailed, thought-provoking treatise which should be read by every pastor, musician, church official, and parishioner. If there was ever a need for such a cleansing and prophetic work, it is now." Soft-cover, 369 pages, acid-free paper.

Genres: Music, Christian, Cultural

Paperback

Published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Joshua Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book quite interesting and helpful in understanding an evaluating music. It's a bit out of date, but that doesn't really matter to me as I've never been up to date in contemporary Christian music. Makujina does a great job in proving that music is not neutral, it does communicate and it can be used sinfully. Where it gets trickier is arguing which music is good and which is bad, though I still thought he argued his points well.

I've often heard it said that rock music is wrong because it increased libido, and then I wondered - why don't we see it endorsed for use in those times where it is appropriate? From this book I understood that it is targeting more than libido, it is communicating rebellion, and often sexual rebellion, and that's why it isn't good in the proper context, because sexual rebellion is never good.

I think there's frequently no easy standard to determine whether music is good or bad. Some of it is because the communication is simpler - less bandwidth, so the music may not have an inherently have an good or evil message, but it depends on context. Much it is because music communicates at an entirely different level or frequency than words. So it can be very useful to look at the context of the music. If it was written by a wicked person pushing wickedness in the lyrics, the music could be ok, but it is likely pushing wickedness to. If the people on stage playing it and dancing to it are making sexual gestures, it's probably not God-honoring music.

There was one interesting chapter where he addresses the historical arguments in favor of CCM - the claim that various church figures have adopted whatever secular tunes were popular in their day. He showed that the figures cited were actually quite discerning in the music they chose, with one exception - William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. This, however, was only further confirmation to me that discernment is needed, as the church had just recorded a podcast on the heresy taught by Booth and the Salvation Army.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good.

[Tim Senter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good reference.

[Andy]

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